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FILING-CABINET.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented May 4, 1909.

Serial No. 464,922.

No. 920,243. l

Application filed November 28, 1998.

terial and supported at its ends in bracket pieces attached in any desired manner to the ends of the box. The division plates 3 and separating cards 4 are perforated at their rear lower corners for the passage of the rod 5. Of course, it is to be understood that the farther back the rod 5 is placed, the better, inasmuch as the papers oninenioranda to be filed are to be placed between the nnnor division plates 4, and therefore there should be as much room as possible.

In vertical line ywith the rod 5 is the slack cord or other tached at its ends to the ends of .the box 2 in' To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, Josnrn J. ATKINSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Houston, in the county of Harris and State of Texas, have invented a new and useful Filing-Cabinet, of which the following is a l specification.

My invention relates to cabinets or cases for filing letters, memoranda, accounts or other analogous matters, and the object of myf invention is toprovide a case or cabinet which may be used to form a unit with other cabinets for the production of a complete filing case of any desired size.

A further object of my invention is'to proany desired .manner and passing through vide a case in which the 'division plates diperforations in the rear upper corners ofthe viding the classified materials may be easily division plates 3 and through the rear ends of the minor division cards 4. This cord is of considerable importance as its slackne'ss permits the division plates or cards to be turned over upon their sides at an angle as shown in Fig. l, thus permitting the easy removal of memoranda or other matter contained between any particular two division plates. It will be seen that a rigid rod arranged longitudinally to the box at the height of the cord, 6, would necessitate that the division cards and This tends to weaken the cards and even then does not permit the degree of flexibility attained by the use of the ilexible cord G.

In order` to hold the cards 3 and 4 in their upright position and'to hold the papers contained between the cards in a compacted form, I provide the 'removable pins, '7` and S, which may' be laced respectively-in any one of the series ofjholes', 9 and 10, arranged in ythe back and'bottom of the box. In Fig, 3 the cards are shown as being held in their upright and com )act form by means of the pins 7 and 8, vwhi o in Fig. l the pins are removed to show clination to permit \\'ithdrawal of matter.

'In' order to fasten the cord, (i, snugly in place I preferably forni an opening, ll, in. cach end of the box through which the ends of the cords 6 are )assed and knotted. A plate 12 of metal having a hole which is smaller than the knot 13 of the cord G is then attached to the inside of the end of the box. '.lhis prevents the-withdrawal of the cord from the inside. 'Ihe hole ll is preferably lilled up in an)Y desired manner, as by a' 'lilling 14 of wood, putty, or other suitable material. While l. havcfound in practico that this' turned downward toerrnit the matter contained between theclivision plates or cards to be quickly and easily gotten at or withdrawn. In this connection I also provide means 'whereby the division plates or cards held snugly against the contents of the case so as to hold the division plates in a vertical position, while, at the same time, these holding means may be easily removed and placed at any portion of the case to allow for the expension of the material contained within the cabinet.

Other details of my invention relate to the construction of the cabinet and have for its object the simplifying vof this class of devices."

I have shown two embodiments of my invention in the drawings, wherein,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of one form; Fig 2 is a longitudinal vertical section thereof, particularly showing the means of attaching the alining cord; Fig. 3 is a perspcctive view of another form of box or tray; Fig. 4 is a transverse section thereof; and

F ig. 5' is an enlarged detail fragmentary section. v

Referring to the drawings, 2 denotes a box of any suitable size or shape, but preferably rectangular and longitudinali)r extended,

the material of the box boing adapted to hold therein a series of main division plates or cards, 3, and a series of minor division plates or cards, 4. There may be as many separate plates or divisions, both major and minor, as desired, to acconunodatc the dcvice to any particular business or object. lower corner of the box is the alining rod, 5, of any desired inatle cards arranged at an in.

manner of attaching the cord to the hoX.

ends is thoroughly eil'ective and simple, do

. not wish to be limited thereto, as the cord ends, there is no difference between the construction in Fig. 3 and that in Fig. 1. Preferably in the use of my device'I use three' separate sizes of division plates or cards, namely the larger cards 3, which are lower in height than the remainder of the cards,

but project out farther and form the'major `the cards' to separate the same division of the contents, the cards 4 which are shorter than the cards 3, but which are higher, and the intermediate cards 15 s hown particularly clearly in Fig. 4. These intermediate cards are smaller than the cards 4, ermit the finger to be very readily inserted etween the cards 4 to separate the same, and thereby permit the ready handling of and get at the contents thereof.

Fig. 5 shows a detail of the pins 7 and 8. It will be seen that the pin is referably formed with a shank provided wit a shouldered portion 16`to prevent the insertion of the in too far into the hole 9 or 10, and a heacl 17, or handling of the pm.

While I have shown my' construction as using cards forming division plates or septums, I do not wish to be limited to this, as of course, the cards themselves might be used to contain memoranda and be inserted into place in the manner usual in card systems wherein the cards cannotbe withdrawn except by the withdrawal of one of the alining rods. To this end the rod 5 might be provided with means whereby it could be easily withdrawn from the box and from engagement with the cards. In the construetion shown this might be very easily detached by unscrewing the screws, 1 8, in the end of the box whereby the rod 5 may be Withdrawn. 'Ihe connecting cord 6 also ma),r be withdrawn by removing the plates 12. My intention, however, is to have these boxes made with a sullciency of dividing septums or cards so that there shall be no need of withdrawal or change in these cards,

but that letters, clippings, memoranda, etc.,

may be filed between .the cards which are properly imlexed by number, letter7 cto., to that end.

The box form of my liling cabinet which is shown in Figs. 1 and LZ is very'wcl'l adapted to be used as a unit and built one on top ol" the other as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, to form a complete Illing case and these permitting the ready withdrawalvv eeaeaav units are of a' size adapting them to becon veniently removed from the complete set of boxes or liles to the desk. The tray form, however, shown in Figs. 3 and 4 is most convenient for use upon the desk to contain docn uments or unfinished correspondence and like matters. l

While I have shown w'h'at I deem to be the preferredv form of my invention, it is to be understood that I may vary it in many ways without departing from the spirit of my invention and that I have illustrated vention in the drawings in its simplest terms. My construction might be made of very ornamental nature while yet preserving the simplicity which adapts it to the exigencies of uslness. y

From the foregoing, it is thought that the construction, operation and many advantages of the herein described invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art with out departing from the spirit or sacrificing` any of the advantages of this invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters-Patent, is: l

1. A cabinet having a bottom and two side pieces, a series of cards within the cabinet, and a flexible slack connection attached at its ends to the ends of the cabinet and passing through the cards 2. A iiling cabinet including a bottom and two end portions, a rigid rod adjacent to the bottom of the cabinet and extending between its ends, septums arranged within the cabinet through which said rod passes, and a flexible slack connection attached at its ends to the ends of the cabinet and passing through the up er portion of said cards.

3. A 'filing ca inet including a bottom and two ends, a rigid rod extending between said ends adjacent to the bottom of the cabinet, and a flexible slack connection above the rod and attached at its ends to the end pieces of the cabinet, both rod and flexible connection filing cards.

my in- 4. A filing cabinet consisting of a bottom,

two end pieces and a rear piecel a construction adapted to pass through'a series of septunis, the bottom and rear of said cabinet being provided with a series of perforations, and pins adapted to be inserted in said perforations and to Contact with the front and rear of the cardsA to hold the same in place.v

5. A cabinet comprising a bottom, a rear piece and two end tion between the two endpieces adapted to pass through a series of septums, and pins adapted to be inserted in a series of perforations inthe back purpose of holding the lower and rear edges of said cards.

6. Aifling cabinet comprising a bottomLa back piece and two end pieces, a transverse' piece and bottom for the" rod arranged between said end pieces adjacent to the junction of the rear piece and bottom of the oase, a liexible slack connection between the end pieces located above said rigid rod, a series of septums having perforations through which said lieXible connection and rigid rod ass, and pins adapted to hold the lower and rear edges of the cardswfastened, said pins passing through a series of perforations in the bottom and rear end the case.

7. In a ,tiling cabinet, the combination with e case having a bottom, a .rear and two end pieces, said bottom and rear pieces being provided with a series of perforations therethrough, a rigid rod extending between the end pieces near the bottom of the case, a

vflexible 'slack cord attached to the end piece tinto sections by dividing plates less in height than the cards but extending out beyond the same, some of said cards being smaller than the others, both in height and depth. i

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto a'llixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH J. ATKINSON.

Witnesses 0 H. STWJ. WAGGAMAN, W. O. BREEDLovE, 

